U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,990 proposes a measuring arrangement that is attached to an agricultural machine. The harvested crop flows past the measuring arrangement and is investigated by the measuring arrangement in regard to certain characteristics such as moisture, or the contents of certain organic components. It is proposed that the measuring arrangement be attached within the machine or to a slide outside of the machine. The sensor described is used exclusively on the harvesting machine.
Furthermore similar measuring arrangements are known, that are applied in a stationary arrangement, for example, in order to analyze food samples (see EP 0 511 184 A).
For the analysis of components of organic material, appropriate measuring arrangements as a rule include sensors that operate in the range of wave lengths of the near infra-red (NIR), they are equipped with light sources and analyzers. Sensors of this type are relatively costly and expensive. In applications in which organic materials are to be analyzed both during the harvest as well as in a stationary applications, the acquisition of two sensors has been shown to be required.
The problem underlying the invention is seen in the need to avoid the disadvantages described above.